Should delight little ones with rhythmic and repetitive words and actions.
An Inuit child’s flight from a bumblebee sends them running across Nunavut.
Happily playing on the playground, Apita is startled by the buzzing of the bee. Frightened, Apita cries, “Qaariaq, qaariaq, qaariaq,” which translates to “Don’t come near me!” This determined bee follows Apita from one community to the next as the kid, clad in a puffy red-and-white–checked coat, runs and runs. Three days later, Apita reaches the town of Igloolik, but the bee is there, buzzing, “Apita, wait for me!” Apita does not, running from the unwelcome insect for five more days. When Apita reaches Rankin Inlet, they stop, puffing from the effort. The bee has followed the child again, but this time Apita has stopped long enough to hear the bee’s protestation: “Apita, I won’t hurt you!” Apita finally understands, responding, “Come here, dear little bee.…I’m not afraid of you!” Finally Apita understands that they’ve been running away from an energetic playmate. Inuk singer/songwriter Han adapts her song “Qaariaq” for this brief picture book, incorporating lots of repetition that will lend the story to reading aloud. (Readers who do not speak Inuktitut will be grateful for the glossary and pronunciation guide on the final page.) Peturs’ soft line-and-color illustrations depict a treeless landscape dotted with sprays of small purple flowers, likely purple saxifrage. A large red school building greets Apita in Igloolik and an inuksuk in Rankin Inlet, embracing both modernity and tradition. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Should delight little ones with rhythmic and repetitive words and actions. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: Oct. 19, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-772-27300-7
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Inhabit Media
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
Sure to have little ones giggling.
Jacques is a hedgehog with a big secret: “I wear real, bona fide underwear.”
Our narrator received a mysterious package one day; an illustration shows a pair of underwear tied to a balloon with a note “from the Universe” floating down into Jacques’ burrow. Hedgehogs don’t wear underwear, however. Will Jacques be shunned? Jacques worries but comes to a decision: “I have to wear them. When I do I feel special.” Determined, Jacques, who’s been invited to a party, makes a dramatic entrance, with undies in hand. Jacques’ declaration (“I WEAR UNDERWEAR”) is met with remarks of dismay, before another hedgehog opens up about similar fears and shows off a pair of cowboy boots. More hedgehogs introduce themselves with their own confessions. The story ends with Jacques unveiling a painting of the underwear in a gallery filled with hedgehogs wearing all sorts of attire. Though the book is simple in plot, characters, and setting, it wins in its balance of bathroom humor, dramatic storytelling, and celebrations of individual expression. French words are peppered throughout, adding to the fun without detracting from the story for those unfamiliar with the language. The cartoonish illustrations brim with fun; Valdez relies heavily on geometric shapes (triangle noses for the hedgehogs; huge circles for their eyes). Details such as speech bubbles and recurring turtle and snake characters contribute to the outlandish humor.
Sure to have little ones giggling. (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: April 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781250814388
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A powerful affirmation for all dads—the good, the flawed, and those doing the best they can.
Dedicating his latest to “caregivers who give what they never got,” Caldecott Honor winner Robinson explores complicated feelings around fatherhood.
From the outset, the book appears to be a standard-issue Father’s Day offering, pairing brief, loving sentiments with images of animals. But it soon becomes clear that Robinson has crafted something much more complex. A frog with tadpoles nestled atop his back (“Dad is here”) is followed by an illustration of an owl leaving the nest (“Dad had to go away”). More contrasts are presented: a seahorse keeping his offspring safe in his pouch (“Dad holds on tight”), two shark pups swimming away from their frenzied-looking patriarch (“Dad need lots of space”). “Dad lets you down and makes mistakes” (a porcupine accidentally jabs his little one), but “Dad picks you up and makes you feel safe” (a lion snuggles his cub). And the human fathers we meet next—diverse in skin tone and ability—are equally multifaceted. Robinson outdoes himself, his bold and richly textured paint and collage artwork popping against the background. His artwork is rife with subtleties for careful readers—for instance, the look of uncertainty in the eyes of the gorilla father described as “strong.” For all its simplicity, this colorful book is laden with meaning, depicting fathers as vulnerable, imperfect, gentle, and empathetic—in a word, deeply human.
A powerful affirmation for all dads—the good, the flawed, and those doing the best they can. (more information on the animals presented) (Picture book. 3-5)Pub Date: May 12, 2026
ISBN: 9781250397041
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
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